College Sports Blog

Baylor coach Art Briles is typically effusive when talking about Robert Griffin III. After all, Griffin did win the Heisman Trophy last year and brought a ton of positive publicity to the Baylor program.

But what’s interesting is that Briles is just as impressed with senior quarterback Nick Florence, who served as Griffin’s backup and then stepped up as a starter this season.

“Nick is a once in a lifetime kind of person,” Briles said this week. “It is a privilege to be able to be around people like that. You wonder why people are able to do extraordinary things and then you study them and you realize they do it because they are dedicated, disciplined, they have faith, and they are trustworthy. He is the definition of a leader.”

Florence made a huge decision last season when he sacrificed his redshirt year to help the Bears beat TexasTech when Griffn was hurt. Now, he sits with some of the best numbers in the nation at quarterback (1st in total offense at 389.5 yards per game, and 13th in passing efficiency at 157.11), and you could just imagine that he would be a candidate for all sorts of awards if he came back for one more season.

But Florence said he has never regretted his decision to play last season, and added that he is planning to have a great Senior Day Saturday against Oklahoma State.

“I think it’s ok to reflect,” Florence said. “Hopefully, that brings a little more passion and heart to the seniors playing. We spent a lot of time here. We have done a lot of things. This senior class has been a part of a lot of things at Baylor. It hasn’t really hit me yet that it’s coming to an end, but I’m sure it will so we have to channel that and funnel that and use it to our advantage as seniors and leading this team at practice this week. But the best part is that it isn’t our last game.”

Florence said he’s proud of the legacy he’ll be leaving at Baylor.

“It’s been a journey for all of us,” Florence said. “Coach Briles and his staff have done an outstanding job. We got players and a team that will fight. No one said we could do this. Looking a month ago, people were writing us off. This team fought hard.
It means a lot. Building a new stadium, 10 wins last year, Heisman Trophy, now we’re going to a bowl game for the third straight year. I’m proud of this team and wouldn’t want to be with anybody else.”